research

name	research
description	Conduct thorough web research on any topic. Searches for information across multiple sources, reads pages in full, synthesizes findings, and saves a structured markdown report to notes/. Use when asked to research, investigate, look up, or gather information about any topic.

Research Skill

Overview

This skill conducts structured web research: searching, reading sources, synthesizing, and saving notes.

Tools Available

• web_search — Search the web (Brave Search or DuckDuckGo)
• fetch_page — Fetch and read a full web page
• save_note — Save research notes to notes/

Workflow

1. Clarify the Goal

Before searching, understand:

• What specific questions need answering?
• What depth of research is needed?
• Are there particular sources or perspectives to prioritize?

2. Search

Run 2–5 searches with varied queries to cover the topic from multiple angles:

web_search("main topic overview")
web_search("topic specific aspect")
web_search("topic recent developments 2024")
web_search("topic expert analysis")

Tips:

• Start broad, then narrow to specific aspects
• Try different phrasings and angles
• Note which URLs look most authoritative

3. Read Sources

Use fetch_page to read the 3–5 most relevant pages in full:

• Prefer primary sources (official sites, research papers, reputable news)
• Read diverse perspectives if the topic is contested
• Look for data, citations, and expert quotes

4. Synthesize

After reading sources:

• Identify the key facts, themes, and insights
• Note agreements and contradictions across sources
• Flag information that is uncertain, dated, or contested
• Determine what is well-established vs. speculative

5. Save Notes

Save a structured report with save_note:

# [Topic Title]

**Researched:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Search queries used:** query1, query2, ...

## Summary

[2–4 sentence overview of the topic and key takeaways]

## Key Findings

- [Finding 1] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))
- [Finding 2] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))
- [Finding 3] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))

## Details

### [Subtopic 1]
[Detailed discussion with citations]

### [Subtopic 2]
[Detailed discussion with citations]

## Open Questions / Uncertainties

- [What is still unclear or contested]
- [What requires further research]

## Sources

1. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]
2. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]
3. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]

Quality Guidelines

• Cite sources: Every factual claim should have a URL
• Note recency: Flag if information may be outdated
• Be honest about uncertainty: Don't present speculation as fact
• Cover multiple angles: Don't rely on a single source
• Be comprehensive but concise: Synthesize, don't just copy-paste

Filename Convention

Use descriptive kebab-case: quantum-computing-2024.md, climate-policy-europe.md